Monday, April 11, 2011

Don't Hurt Each Other and Clean Up Your Mess


I mentioned a few days ago, that I had my share of "tsuris" (aggravation) last week. I'm afraid I didn't handle a certain situation, related to skating, very well. My intentions were misunderstood. A certain person was really annoyed with me and put me in a position where I had to defend my actions. Even when I tried to apologize, things didn't get better, they got worse, and it seemed that I just kept making mistakes.

In addition, my aggravation with the situation caused me to talk about the situation with others.

I found myself going back to "my old ways."

I took part in gossip. That really bothered me since last week I learned that according to the Torah, gossip is equal to murder, and I had decided to work hard at not listening to gossip or participating in gossip.

To make a long story short, the uncomfortable situation has been resolved, but I'm not sure the person I dealt with truly forgave me, but decided to accept my apology and move on.

I admit I didn't really ask God for guidance in this situation. I tried to handle it on my own. One thing for sure, handling it on my own made a mess.

This got me thinking about one of my favorite folks songs called "Kindergarten Wall."

My favorite words of that song are:

"Don't hurt each other and clean up you mess!"

I want to follow that recommendation!

Kindergarten Wall - Words and Music by John McCutcheon
When I was a little kid not so long ago
I had to learn a lot of stuff I didn't even know
How to dress myself, tie my shoes, how to jump a rope
How to smile for a picture without looking like a dope
But of all the things I learned my favorite of them all
Was a little poem hanging on the kindergarten wall

CHORUS:

Of all you learn here remember this the best:
Don't hurt each other and clean up your mess
Take a nap everyday, wash before you eat
Hold hands, stick together, look before you cross the street
And remember the seed in the little paper cup:
First the root goes down and then the plant grows up!


Well, it was first, second, third grade, fourth grade, too
Where I had to learn the big things the big kids do
To add, subtract, and multiply, read and write and play
How to sit in a little uncomfortable desk for nearly half a day
But of all they taught me my favorite of them all
Was the little poem hanging on the kindergarten wall

CHORUS:

Of all you learn here remember this the best:
Don't hurt each other and clean up your mess
Take a nap everyday, wash before you eat
Hold hands, stick together, look before you cross the street
And remember the seed in the little paper cup:
First the root goes down and then the plant grows up!


But lately I've been worried as I look around and see
An awful lot of grown-ups acting foolish as can be
Now I know there's lots of things to know I haven't mastered yet
But it seems there's real important stuff that grown-ups soon forget
So I'm sure we'd all be better off if we would just recall
That little poem hanging on the kindergarten wall

CHORUS:

Of all you learn here remember this the best:
Don't hurt each other and clean up your mess
Take a nap everyday, wash before you eat
Hold hands, stick together, look before you cross the street
And remember the seed in the little paper cup:
First the root goes down and then the plant grows up!

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